Archive for Back to School Healthy

I know that I, for one, have at least one member of the household that is deeply unhappy that this day has arrived.

We have spent the last two months footloose and fancy-free, flip-flop clad, jumping (literally) in lakes, exploring other cities and countries and making a game of how few nights we spent sleeping in our own beds at home.

The answer is about 3, and we are wildly proud of that fact.

But reality is now coming crashing down. Michael is starting Grade 9, and I am back teaching as of next Monday. A busy fall schedule awaits us both. *sob*

One more moment of silence as we mourn carefree, sunny summer days that were our own.

Okay. Now that that’s done, let’s turn our focus to the matter at hand: school. I’ve already loaded the freezer up with lots of healthy, quick grab-and-go lunches: homemade vegetarian pizza pockets made with yams, Trader Joe’s vegan chorizo, and beans, and individually-sized containers of Cuban rice and beans that I can quickly heat up in the microwave.

But breakfast. That’s the kicker. I usually resort to smoothies, or I’ll make breakfast cookies or homemade granola bars.

But I also love me some Overnight Oats. You see, the thing is, you can really pack a lot of good stuff into your Overnight Oats.

Like Gojis, for example. I was tickled pink to discover that there is a local farm here in Vancouver that’s growing gojis. Up until now, our only way of getting this superfood was by purchasing them dry (imported from China). I really like the fresh ones, they have a pop of tartness, and did I mention how good they are for you??

This overnight oat recipe can be customized to how you like it. Be sure to make up 3-5 to last you a whole week of healthy, grab-and-go breakfasts.

Overnight Goji Oats

Ingredients (for each individual serving)

250-ml mason jars with lids

2-3 tbsp oats (not instant)

1 tbsp ground, roasted flax

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp vegan protein powder(I like vanilla)

8-12 fresh goji berries

1-2 tbsp dried fruit like cranberries, dates or raisins

2 tbsp yogurt (or non-dairy yogourt if you want to keep it vegan)

2 tbsp non dairy milk

a sprinkle of cinnamon

a tiny pinch of salt

a drizzle of maple syrup

Method:

Place all the dry ingredients in the bottom of the mason jar, and give it a shake to combine.

Now add the wet ingredients and shake/stir well to mix everything together.

Place the lid on and store in the fridge overnight. In the morning, grab and go.

If you like, you can add extras, like nuts/seeds, or blob of peanut butter and jelly.

In my house, we have a big challenge that we are faced with every day, and I’ll bet you struggle with something similar in yours.

There are two of us living here; and we have different diets. My son is a bacon-loving omnivore, and I am a vegetarian (though I do still sometimes eat sustainably harvested fish). How many of you have a similar dilemma? Maybe someone has allergies, or is gluten-free, or perhaps you, too are a carnivore living with a vegetarian.

It’s a tough one. Because I’m the one that buys the groceries and cooks the dinners, we basically don’t have meat in the house. Michael gets his fill of burgers when we go out. But the challenge is coming up with dinners that are satisfying enough to someone who likes to eat meat, while still being vegetarian.

I’m not suggesting everyone go vegetarian, those are just my reasons for doing so. BUT if everyone gave up meat just one day week, it would save “99.6 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would be the equivalent of removing 46 million round trip flights between Los Angeles and New York, or taking 19.2 million cars off the road for a full year,” says the Huffington Post.

The Meatless Monday movement was born out of this concept. You basically choose to not eat meat on Mondays. Great! Then what do you eat??

Here are some tips to help you embrace Meatless Monday.

Find a good grocery store. This is key. I find that if I have to run all over town and go to 7 grocery stores to find what I like, that seriously puts a damper on things! I’ve been shopping at Save-On a lot lately, and have been really impressed by their variety of vegetarian-friendly products. They have tofu, as well as meat subs like veggie burgers, Tofurkey, Yves and Field Roast products. They also have the best selection I’ve found of Gardein products, which are our favorites. Michael happily eats them. We especially like the Porkless Bites, the Mandarin Orange “Chicken” and the Crabcakes. Bonus: you can order online and they will deliver to your house, or they’ll do the shopping for you and you can just pick up your groceries on the way home from work. So convenient!

Pasta! Pasta makes a hearty and filling meal, and is pretty darn healthy to boot. We have a vegetarian pasta with Caesar Salad at least once a week. I throw a bunch of vegetables in there, some pesto, maybe a tomato sauce? You could add in some veggie meatballs if you like. Try some of the newer gluten-free pastas for a bonus shot of protein: many of them are made with quinoa or beans.

Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit: speaking of beans, those things are the bomb! They are cheap, tasty and filling, you can prepare them a million ways, and they are packed with protein.

These tacos are made with lentils!

Eat ethnic: many culture’s cuisines focus more heavily on vegetables than others. Indian cooking, for example, is very vegetarian friendly, as can be Asian cuisine, especially Thai or Vietnamese. Or just think a big ol’ stirfry with tofu, rice and a yummy sauce, served alongside vegetarian potstickers or egg rolls.

Breakfast for dinner: who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? We love quiches, waffles or pancakes for dinner. I keep frozen pie crusts in my freezer all the time, making it a matter of minutes for me to cook up some veggies and whip those together with some eggs and cheese to make a delicious quiche. Makes a great leftover breakfast or lunch the next day, too!

Hi, I’m Bex!

I’m a Social Media, Food & Travel Blogger, a caffeine-fueled shenanigan-seeker. Mom to Michael, the world’s greatest teenager, and a food critic in training. When I’m not Instagramming my experiments in the kitchen, you’ll find me riding my bike on the Seawall, or taking photos. My cookbook, “Aquafabulous!: 100+ Egg-Free Vegan Recipes Using Aquafaba” is available in stores and online. Welcome to my culinary adventures!